Public takes course on what to do in an active shooter situation

Thursday morning, people in an active shooter training were taught to not think, but react.

With the recent shootings across the nation, people, like Steven Smith, find themselves asking.

"What can I do if something does happen?"

Coryell County Constable Guy Beveridge is educating people on what to do in an active shooter situation.

"There is a gap between law enforcement or professional first responders response time and the activity taking place. So, there's going to be that gap of five to nine minutes that people have to fill in and do something," Constable Beveridge said.

That something? Get out. Lockout. Take Out.

"Law enforcement has a priority of work. We're gonna stop the dying, that's our first priority of work. But, the more people that I can have in there to lower the victim rate, to lower the casualty rate and to actually get into action and prevail in these situations, the better it's going to be for everyone," Constable Beveridge added.

Constable Beveridge said people are the true first responder in emergency situations.

"I need sheepdogs. I need warriors. I need people that are on-scene to start doing something and not just hide and hope, that's not a strategy anymore," the Constable added.

"You never know when you'll be able to use these skills. We don't want to think about it, but when that situation does happen, we want to be prepared for that," Steven Smith said.

"We've reached a situation in our society where people are getting hurt more and more and people are dying from preventable bleeding," Scott Coleman, a paramedic for the Coryell Memorial Healthcare System, said.

It's vital that people learn how to apply a tourniquet and pack a wound.

"Anybody can save a life. You don't have to have professional training, you just have to have the will and awareness to do it," Coleman added.

Another active shooter, stop the bleed course will be held Friday morning in Gatesville at the Coryell County Commissioner's Court. The address is 801 E. Main St.